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“Damn. I’m going to have to email Danielle and let her know. Did Owen tell you when Dawson’s article is coming out?”
“No. I don’t think he knows either.” I placed my hands on her shoulders. “Babe, I’m right here with you, okay? We’ll figure everything out.”
“You really mean that?” She sounded surprised.
“Of course I mean it.”
She gave me a guarded smile. “Is there anything else on your mind? You’re still tense.”
How could she tell that? It dawned on me that I wasn’t used to talking about family stuff with anyone outside the family. It was just one of those things I’d always compartmentalized. But I could practically see Heather folding into herself just standing here, feeling left out, perhaps still fearing I didn’t want them here. I could do this. Just let her be part of everything.
“Skye and Tess lost the investor they had.”
“Oh my God. So what are they going to do?”
“Find another one, but it’ll take a while. I’m worried about them. They’re stretched so thin, and that guy Skye had been seeing dumped her, and I’m frustrated as fuck that I can’t be of more use.”
“Ryker,” Heather said softly.
“I’m worried.”
“We can brainstorm ways to help them out.”
“We?” I asked. She nodded, placing her hands on my chest. She wasn’t just brushing off my concerns. She wanted to be involved in this. I couldn’t believe that she got me so completely. I kissed her—hard, deep, until she moved those hands up around my neck, pulling me closer to her. I felt the tension melt away from my body.
She smiled when I pulled back, tracing one finger on my forehead, down my temple, to the corner of my mouth. She tilted her head, as if considering some options.
“What are you thinking about?” I asked.
“That maybe we should take a trip to the Northern Lights tonight. You said that playing makes you relax.”
It did, though nothing got me out of this headspace when I was so wired up. Except this, right here.
“But then I can’t spend time with you.”
“You’d rather spend the evening with me than at the Northern Lights?” The look on her face was priceless.
“I’d rather spend time with you tha
n do 99.9 percent of anything.”
“What’s the 0.01 entail?”
I brought my mouth to her ear. “If you want to know, you’ll have to get it out of me.”
Pulling back, she narrowed her eyes. “And you don’t think I can do that?”
“No, no. I have full confidence in you.”
“You’re full of shit.”
I laughed, curling an arm around her waist, keeping her close. I rested my forehead in the crook of her neck, drinking her in.
“Stay here. It’s been a fucking hard week, and I just need you for a bit.”
It felt good to say it out loud.
***
